It’s my great pleasure to share this music with you and it will always be here and freely available.
All selections were written, performed, recorded, edited, mixed and produced by yours truly …. Gary Galimidi. I initially sequenced the drums and percussion parts for developmental purposes but eventually those were replaced by real live world class drummers in the persons of Lee Levine, Gary Novak and Richard Bravo.
It is my intention to continue to “update” the selections as time goes on, as I get better at what I’m doing and as ideas develop. It really takes some of the stress off of “trying to get everything right, whatever that is…” – knowing I can go back and fix something helps me keep a calm and steady approach. (As an example, I plan to replace the Keyscape Piano parts with real performances on a real Steinway. Over the years I’ve changed several lyrics and guitar solos and have edited parts in and out.)
There are many people I feel a debt of gratitude toward that have taught me so much about so many aspects of making music. I spent eight years executive producing records for a local label featuring lovely artists and earned a minor degree in the music business while learning basic things about studio techniques, Pro Tools , Studio construction… etc. In any case, to those who helped me learn I wish a big thank you. For me, music has always been a spiritual journey, and not a financial one. I consider myself blessed.
On Working Alone:
Collaboration is a wonderful thing and can lead to great invention. But coming from the financial/management world and not having many contacts my path was inescapably a solo one. I found myself working alone but fortunate to be starting right at the dawn of MIDI and sequencers leading to Digital Audio Workstations and hard disc recording. These inventions helped me work around my shortcomings like not being able to read or crucially, write my ideas down in musical notation form. Also, the computer allows me the luxury of playing all the parts and singing with myself one go at a time. And lately a fast internet connection and great professional connections have allowed me to get great drummers and percussionists to collaborate via fiber. For me, the song is the important thing. The goal is to get the ideas down and share them. I wish I could play like some of my myriad heroes, and sing like Chris Cornell. That’s another spiritual journey that will continue… into another lifetime…
One of the positive aspects of all this is that I can do wtf I want in my recordings without having to answer to anyone. I cherish my freedom, especially my freedom to think my own thoughts while acting responsibly. I write and produce my own stuff and I’m doing it for the love of it. Consequently I can go back to the recordings and change them whenever I care to, as I hear different things developing in my head and generally do any crazy thing that surfaces. I view “Little Black Car” as a perpetual work in progress. It will likely be a 50 song album before I’m done. I don’t think I’ll ever put out a physical CD, but who knows.
I will soon start mixing the music in Dolby Atmos. That will be a fun endeavor.
"Smiling Faces" , "End of Days", "I'll Have Another Corona" I wrote "Smiling Faces" during the lock-down. Being a huggy-kissy Cuban and having an extensive extended family (friends and co-workers) that has been in my life for over 30 years, the sudden lack of contact and the sudden loss of smiles and expressions really did a number on me. It was also during this time that I wrote "End of Days" and "I'll Have Another Corona". As challenging as the Covid pandemic has been, it has opened our eyes to what is important in life.
'Young Man" I woke up one morning and looked into the mirror and to my horror I saw my Dad looking back at me. My relationship with my father was not the best, and I had to come to grips with subsequent realizations that in many ways I'm not too different from what he was, although I detested him on many levels. The realization that life is not easy and that many of us are victims of circumstance can be difficult to accept especially when the folks we would like to reconcile with are gone...
"Seven Stones"
My Father passes on, and now I wonder what will happen with me, my eternal soul ... It is said that are names are written in the book of life from the time of creation... I believe we all go back to the creator so not to worry...
"Changing of the Guard" and "Missle's of October"
Just a pair of instrumentals based on some great Oberheim and Yamaha CS80 sounds. The title may or may not have anything to do with anything. These are older compositions. I had fun with the guitars on these... There was a moment in October of 1962 where all but two or three of the nut jobs you see below like Curtis LeMay were ready to launch a nuclear war citing "acceptable casualties". JFK and RFK saved the world from annihilation...
"Seal of Deception" Every politician lies... those that don't... don't last.. those that challenge the money machine and sue for peace are assassinated by their own ... simple enough... November 22, 1963.
“Surprise”
My attempt at a perverted Van Halen style song…
“Little Black Car”
My attempt at a little innuendo …
